What they dont know
by liatli-1228
Summary: Clark goes to college and Lex follows. Clark/Lex slash. enjoy *cheeky smile*
1. Default Chapter

Title: What they don't know.  
  
Author: Liatli  
  
Disclaimer: I'm still waiting for that sweet-16 present that never came (*cough, CLARK, cough*)  
  
Summary: written pre-season finale, but set 4 years ahead. But it's completely AU!! And slash. Hee.  
  
A/N if yall cant tell, I write Lex very different than he is on the show. I haven't really perfected the art of writing Lex.  
  
Prologue  
  
Jonathan's hands began to shake and beads of sweat formed on his upper lip. He dropped the magazine he was holding, one of those gossip magazines Martha loved so much, and called out,  
  
"Martha! Come quick!"  
  
Martha came rushing into the den carrying a little sandy-haired, blue-eyed toddler. She set the boy down on the couch and grabbed Jonathan's arm to help him into a chair. She said worriedly,  
  
"Jonathan! What is it? Are you all right?"  
  
Jonathan just pointed to the tabloid magazine pages scattered on the floor. Stooping, Martha picked up the front page. Taking up ¾ of the cover was a glossy picture of a smirking Lex Luthor, stunning in black slacks, a stark white dress-shirt, and one of his signature knee-length black coats, and a grinning Clark, similarly stunning, yet unfamiliar, in black dress pants and a forest green dress-shirt, nearly matching his eyes. Martha nearly missed what had made Jonathan react so extremely. Lex's hand was resting possessively at the small of Clark's back and Clark was pressed, full length, up against Lex's side in an unmistakably intimate pose.  
  
2 years earlier  
  
"You really don't care?"  
  
Clark squinted at his father, trying to read the look on his face. Jonathan rolled his eyes slightly and sighed,  
  
"Clark. I want you to do what you want to do. Not what your mother or I want you to do. Okay? It's your future. It's your choice."  
  
Clark's face lit up with joy. He let out a whoop and hugged his father so tight Jonathan could barely breathe. Then he moved to his mom, careful for the baby in her arms. After he hugged and kissed her, he bent and kissed the baby. Little Taylor had been born about 4 months ago. He was completely healthy, completely normal. Martha had insisted that Dr. Bryce deliver Taylor, for fear of him being.un-natural. Helen hadn't really wanted to. She had never delivered a baby before. But she realized how much it meant to Martha and Jonathan, so she had conceded, calling up an old friend of hers who had become an O B GYN to give her tips or lessons or something.  
  
Clark was off to college in less than 5 months and he hadn't decided on whether to attend college in Smallville or Metropolis University. He had been worried that if he left his parents would have too much work. But his father assured him that they would survive.  
  
So it was settled. Clark was off to Met U. He couldn't wait to go tell Lex. But first he felt it his obligation to tell Chloe, Lana, and Pete first.  
  
"Metropolis University? That's awesome!"  
  
Lana's smile didn't quite reach her eyes, but Clark didn't seem to notice. Chloe was overly excited. She was going to Met U, too. Pete was headed for Kansas State, and Lana was staying in Smallville.  
  
"I know! Now we'll be together, and Pete and Lana'll be just a few hours away!"  
  
Lana resisted rolling her eyes. Pete snorted,  
  
"Like you'll find time to come visit."  
  
Clark laughed and said,  
  
"Yes, I will. Don't worry. Well, I gotta go. I'll catch up with you guys later, okay?"  
  
They all nodded and watched Clark dash for the door of the Talon, just barely avoiding a collision with a group of Smallville High jocks there to celebrate the football victory from earlier that afternoon.  
  
One golden-brown eyebrow raised in surprise . "Wow. Met U. I'm surprised you're not staying here."  
  
Clark's smile faded,  
  
"What?"  
  
Lex shrugged, his fingers steepled in front of his chin as he sat behind his desk, elbows resting on the glassy surface.  
  
"I just thought you'd stay here. Be closer to your parents. The baby. The farm."  
  
Clark shrugged,  
  
"They told me it was my choice and I think that Met U is right for me."  
  
Hearing the defensive tone in Clark's voice, Lex hurried to reassure Clark,  
  
"Hey, I think it's great! Metropolis is a wonderful city. They're lucky to have you."  
  
Appeased, Clark's smile returned, full force. Now, how was Lex supposed to control himself when that smile was aimed directly at him? He felt himself smiling in return. A big, foolish grin of an intensity that he hadn't known he was capable of before he had met Clark. Clark stood up and began to pace the room with nervous, excited energy. Lex suppressed a giggle at the eager- puppy attitude Clark had. Clark was oblivious to anyone and anything at the moment. He wouldn't have noticed if the mansion had burned down around him, he was so immersed in his thoughts. Lex felt it would be the appropriate time to tell Clark his news. After a few tries, Lex stood up and nearly shouted,  
  
"Clark."  
  
Clark turned to Lex, an inquisitive but preoccupied look on his face.  
  
"Yeah, Lex?"  
  
Lex smiled, sat back down, and said,  
  
"I wanted you to be the first to know, and what better time to mention this than now? I just wanted you to know that I'm moving back to Metropolis. I have handed over full reign of the factory to Gabe Sullivan and I'm moving back to the penthouse and taking control of a new branch of LexCorp I'm opening in Metropolis."  
  
Clark rushed forwards to kneel in front of Lex. He grabbed Lex's hands, sandwiching them between his. He gushed,  
  
"That's great! We'll still be together!"  
  
Lex couldn't stop the smile. There was just something about Clark that brought out the best in him. The happiest. Lex couldn't wait to be alone with Clark in Metropolis, where he didn't have to worry that a look or touch would be.misinterpreted (or interpreted correctly) by the ever- watchful Jonathan, resulting in the barrel of a shotgun up Lex's ass.  
  
5 months later  
  
Lex glanced at Clark out of the corner of his eye. Clark was sitting next to him in the limo, stiff as a board, his hands tapping erratic rhythms on his thighs, his lips pursed, and his eyes darting around nervously. They were on their way to Metropolis. Clark's luggage, along with Lex's, were being shipped via private jet. Not 15 minutes ago had Clark bid his parents, Lana, and Pete tearful good-byes. Chloe had already left. Pete was going next week. Met U didn't start for another month, but Clark wanted to go, get a feel for the city, get comfortable with the campus. He was staying with Lex, since dorms weren't open yet. Chloe was with her cousin Lois Lane. Of course, Lex knew Clark wouldn't be comfortable flying to Metropolis (his fear of heights) and he wouldn't want to take the bus or train (too long and boring by himself), so Lex had offered to go a week later than he had intended to leave so Clark could ride with him. Of course, Clark hadn't wanted to impose on Lex, hadn't wanted to mess up Lex's plans. But Lex had insisted until, finally, Clark had given in.  
  
Lex smiled and shifted in his seat. He lifted one leg up to lay it on the seat so he could face Clark. The movement caught Clark's attention and he looked at Lex. Lex cocked his head to the side and said,  
  
"Clark, you can relax. We still have a few hours to go. Traffic is awful on weekends and a storm is coming, so we might acctually have to stop at a motel for the night. And if you stay this tense the whole ride, you wont be able to move when we acctually arrive in Metropolis."  
  
Clark only looked at Lex. Lex sighed,  
  
"Here, turn around. Face the window."  
  
Frowning, Clark complied, crossing his legs, Indian-style. Suddenly he felt lean fingers pressing into his shoulders and thumbs into his spine. He arched his back in reaction to the pressure and moaned a little when Lex began to massage.  
  
Slowly, slowly Lex felt and saw Clark relax. He continued the massage, moving his hands lower and lower until he was at the small of Clark's back, his hands spanning Clark's waist so his fingers pressed into Clark's sides. When Lex pressed, Clark jumped a little. Laughing, Lex said,  
  
"Ticklish, Clark?"  
  
Clark shook his head no and made a grumbling sound. Grinning, Lex resumed the massage. Finally Clark moved his shoulders a bit, signaling to Lex to end the massage. He turned back to face forwards. Slumping back against the seat, his eyes closed, head leaning against the sat, Clark said,  
  
"Thanks, Lex. I really needed that. I totally owe you one." Smiling, Lex shook his head.  
  
"What are you so nervous about, Clark?"  
  
Clark opened one eye and turned his head to look at Lex, his cheek now pressed to the smooth leather seats that smelled like Lex. He said,  
  
"It's college, Lex. It's so different than high school. And I won't have my parents to turn to any more. I'm alone now."  
  
Frowning, Lex said,  
  
"You're not alone. You have me Clark."  
  
Clark smiled softly,  
  
"I know, Lex. And you know how glad I am that I do.have you. It's just."  
  
Lex smiled again,  
  
"I know, Clark. You don't need to explain it to me. I may not know from first-hand experience.hell, I was glad to be at boarding school, away from my father. But I understand where you are coming from."  
  
Clark nodded and shut his eye again. Lex stared at Clark for a minute, instinct warring with common sense. He wanted so badly just to be able to lean forwards, to press his lips firmly to Clark's, to taste Clark, to feel Clark pressed against him. But he couldn't. Not now, not yet. Lex had to be completely sure about Clark's feelings for him. And right now, he wasn't so sure. Lex was glad Clark was too far gone, way too relaxed, to note the changes in Lex. His eyes nearly five shades darker, with the smoky sheen of arousal. His mouth was slightly tense, his lips pressed together in a battle for control, his knee drawn up a bit to hide his arousal. Lex could feel his cock straining against the thin material of his slacks and fought not to blush. Clark's little moans and arches and purrs during the massage had turned him on almost unbearably. To Lex's shock, and a bit to his pleasure, Clark fell asleep moments later. Lex settled back into the seat and watched Clark's angelic face as he slept.  
  
The storm came. The driver was forced to find a motel off the side of the highway. It was a pretty large one, called the Motel California. The sign was done in garish neon colors and had a flashing 'vacancy' sign beneath the name. Lex hated to wake Clark, but he gently shook Clark. Clark awoke, his eyes hazy, his voice groggy. Lex just smiled and opened the door to let them out.  
  
Cringing, Lex stepped into the brightly-lit office. A pimply teenager sat behind the desk biting his nails and tapping his foot to some static-y heavy metal coming from a stereo on the floor beside him. The teen glanced up, saw Lex, and turned down the music. Lex muttered something under his breath, then stepped forwards. The boy stood up and said in a voice that cracked painfully,  
  
"Need a room?"  
  
Lex nodded,  
  
"3, acctually."  
  
The boy looked down at a pad of paper with a bunch of lines, squiggles, and gibberish on it. It looked like the paper was covered in Hieroglyphics. He marked something down in 2 places and said, looking up,  
  
"Sorry. We only have 2."  
  
Lex sighed and looked at Clark,  
  
"Mind sharing a room, Clark?"  
  
Clark shook his head sleepily and Lex said to the boy,  
  
"We'll take them both."  
  
The boy flipped a switch on the desk, turning off the 'vacancy' sign and handed Lex 2 keys. He said,  
  
"I'm Craig. If you need anything, dial 1 on the phone. I just need you to sign here."  
  
Craig produced a pink slip and Lex signed his name in his neat, efficient, handwriting. When the boy looked down at it, his eyes widened and he dropped the paper, looking up at Lex in wonder. With a smirk, Lex took the keys off the counter and walked out of the room, dragging Clark with him.  
  
Lex's jaw, and his bags, dropped when he opened the door. Their room was the.honeymoon suite? Growling, Lex turned back to the door and ran solidly into Clark, who was dripping from the rain and looked asleep on his feet. Lex sighed resignedly and changed his plans to go give that Craig a piece of his mind. Instead, he took Clark's bags from his hands, set them down, and navigated Clark towards the bed. Clark smiled gratefully at Lex, then removed most of his wet clothes, dropped onto the huge red bed, and instantly fell asleep. Shaking his head, Lex shut the door, dragged all the suitcases near the bed, then straightened to survey the room. It was very.romantic? The bed dominated one corner of the suite. On either side was a small table with lamps. A TV was across from the bed and 2 overstuffed lazy-boy type chairs were on another wall. The other wall was a bar, which opened into the kitchenette. Lex explored the bathroom. It contained a huge, very deep bathtub with fragrant bottles on the ledge. Lex smiled and began to peel off his clothes, soaked from the rain outside. Not caring, he dropped them into a wet pile beside the bathroom door, then began to fill the massive tub with hot, hot water.  
  
When Clark woke up, Lex was just pulling on a rumpled MIT t-shirt. Clark stretched, then sat up, running a hand across his bare chest before yawning sleepily and peering at Lex. Lex smiled and sat on the bed, flipping on the TV. Clark said,  
  
"Leave enough hot water for me, Lex?"  
  
Lex shrugged and said,  
  
"Maybe. That tub is damn huge."  
  
Clark smiled, then stood up and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. A moment later, he opened it and stuck his head out. He said with a little grin,  
  
"Don't wait up."  
  
After a particularly lame episode of Three's Company, Clark emerged from the bathroom, emitting a puff of steam. He had a towel slung low about his hips. Clark ran a hand through his sopping hair and walked towards his suitcase by the bed. When he neared the bed, Lex caught a whiff of him and grinned, amused.  
  
"Lavender, Clark?"  
  
Clark blushed and mumbled,  
  
"It was that or roses."  
  
Lex laughed,  
  
"Good choice, Clark."  
  
Scowling, Clark rooted through his suitcase, pulling out some sweat pants and a shirt. Then he disappeared back into the bathroom. Taking a gulp of Crown Royale straight from the bottle (from the minibar), Lex rubbed his tense stomach. Clark was fucking incredible. Lex had never seen anyone so.perfect. Those arms, that torso.Lex's mouth went dry again and he took another swig of the alcohol, running his hand over his head. Lex shook his head. He didn't know how he was going to survive this night. Sharing this bed with Clark would be pure heaven, but at the same time, hell. It would be so tempting to reach over and pull Clark into his arms, to press his lips to Clark's in the urgency he was feeling at the moment. Lex cursed softly and willed himself to think of something else. Anything else! He began flipping channels on the TV. Lex though, Ah, game shows. Smush? Never heard of that one before. I'd sure like to smush-  
  
"Damn!"  
  
Lex flipped the channels again. He came across reruns of Star Trek: the Next Generation. Dropping the remote, Lex focused on those deformed foreheads, the Vulcan ears.smiling Lex relaxed. It was working. Until Clark stepped out of the bathroom. His drying hair was tousled and one corner of his shirt had ridden up to reveal a strip of smooth, golden skin. Lex groaned to himself and closed his eyes briefly. Forcing himself to act casual, he patted the bed and said,  
  
"Join me, Kent."  
  
Smiling, Clark dropped the towel onto the table, then walked over to the bed. He climbed onto it and settle against the pillows next to Lex.  
  
"I swear, this bed must be 5 feet off the ground. Hey, what the heck are you watching? Stark Trek? Ugh, I thought you had better taste."  
  
Frowning, Lex said,  
  
"I was just flipping channels and happened to come across this. I've never acctually watched the show before. I mean, these guys are hideous! And all that stupid space jargon. I don't understand half of what they're saying."  
  
Clark raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face.  
  
"Yeah, Lex. Whatever."  
  
Lex held his hands up, palm out in defense.  
  
"I swear!"  
  
Clark's smirk only widened. He said,  
  
"Whatever, Lex. I'm tired."  
  
Lex was surprised to find that he was, too. He flipped off the TV, then reached over and shut off his bedside lamp. Clark did the same, then they pulled back to comforter and settled into the bed. They both lay awake, stiff as boards, for fear that they may accidentally touch the other and make it uncomfortable. After about an hour, Clark couldn't keep his eyes open, no matter how nervous he was. He yawned, settled on his side, facing Lex (the side he always slept on) and promptly fell asleep. Not so for Lex. He turned on his side, too, facing Clark. He though, if he couldn't sleep, he may as well enjoy his time awake. Sighing, Lex watched Clark sleep. 


	2. budding

What They Don't Know  
  
A/N: sorry, the Lex/Helen break up isn't so juicy. I wrote all of this, like, 20 minutes ago in a rush to get this all out before I had to get back to studying for finals. Anyway, much more slashiness to come. Heehee. Thanks for the reviews! I love it! This is my first Smallville fic I've ever posted, so.  
  
Part 2  
  
Clark dropped his suitcase in the foyer and, jaw gaping, he began to walk around the apartment. He said, slightly in awe,  
  
"This is amazing, Lex."  
  
Lex smiled and approached Clark in the den. He laid a hand on Clark's shoulder and began to lead him towards the bedrooms. He passed over one door, then pushed open the second one. Clark's eyes widened as he studied the room. Along the opposite wall was a huge mahogany four-poster bed with his suitcase on top of it. All of the furniture in the room was made from matching mahogany. A huge bureau, a nightstand on either side of the bed, a desk in another corner, a table for the TV across from the bed.Clark sighed, a smile touching his face. When he turned to Lex, Lex held up a hand. He said,  
  
"Don't say anything, Clark. Just.enjoy."  
  
With that, Lex exited the room. Clark grinned widely, surveying the room once more. He was going to enjoy this.  
  
3 weeks later  
  
"Lex! I'm home!"  
  
Clark heard some scrambling around coming from the bedroom side of the apartment, then moments later, Lex emerged, sweating and breathing heavily. Clark watched as Lex walked into the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle, then proceeded to drink the entire thing in 10 seconds. Clark said,  
  
"What have you been doing, Lex?"  
  
Lex made a motion of lifting weights. Clark nodded and flopped onto the leather couch. Lex joined him and said,  
  
"So, how was today?"  
  
Clark smiled,  
  
"Good. Chloe, Lois, and I got lunch together. How was your day?"  
  
Lex sighed,  
  
"You'll never believe this."  
  
Clark frowned and turned to watched Lex. Lex continued, his voice turning bitter,  
  
"I got a call around 11:30 this morning. It was Helen. She just wanted to know how I was doing. She's great, married now, has a baby."  
  
Clark sighed and rubbed Lex's shoulder sympathetically. He said,  
  
"Lex.you left her, remember?"  
  
Lex turned to Clark, suddenly furious. He said,  
  
"She was working for my father! I was right! The whole 'paying Helen to leave me' thing was just a.a cover up. So I wouldn't think of suspecting her. How the hell could I marry her after that?"  
  
Clark, nodded,  
  
"You're right, Lex. You're right. Calm down, okay? I'm gonna go get you some tea."  
  
"I don't want tea."  
  
Clark was already in the kitchen. He called back,  
  
"Too bad!"  
  
When Clark returned with the tea, Lex was staring into the fireplace, his fists clenching and unclenching. Clark sat back down and handed Lex the mug. Lex took it, but just set it beside him on the table. He looked at Clark, who was now frowning at Lex. Lex said,  
  
"You're not my mother, Clark."  
  
Clark rolled his eyes and smirked,  
  
"I know that."  
  
"Why do you put up with me, Clark?"  
  
Clark stared at Lex, and said slowly,  
  
"I don't 'put up' with you, Lex. You're my best friend. I care about you."  
  
Lex felt a knot in the pit of his stomach. Clark cared about him. Lex closed his eyes before Clark could see the tears in them. He said,  
  
"I know you do." He took a deep breath. "I'm tired. I need to shower."  
  
He stood up and Clark stood with him. Before Lex realized what he was doing, Clark had pulled him into his arms. Lex tensed up, not knowing what to expect, what Clark was doing. Slowly, slowly he relaxed when he realized it was just.a hug. Smiling now, Lex brought his arms around to hug Clark back. He sighed as he relaxed fully. He had no idea how much he'd needed this.  
  
They stood, swaying slowly, in the middle of the den. After a few minutes, Lex pulled away, smiling. He said, his voice thick,  
  
"Thank you, Clark. I needed that. I'm going to go shower, then I'll treat you to dinner, okay?"  
  
Lex saw Clark hesitate and he said quickly,  
  
"Don't say no, Clark. I want to take you to dinner. Please let me do this for you."  
  
Clark sighed, his eyes warming and a soft smile spreading. He said,  
  
"Okay, Lex. Fine. You win. Now go shower. You smell like a locker room."  
  
Lex laughed, then turned and walked towards his bedroom. Clark watched Lex walk off, then, when Lex disappeared into his bedroom, Clark turned on his heel and flopped down onto the couch, flipping on the high-tech plasma- screen television Lex had had installed recently.  
  
TBC 


	3. Meetings

What They Don't Know  
  
Part 3  
  
1 week later  
  
Lex came home from work to find Clark standing in the doorway of his bedroom just.staring. Frowning, Lex stood directly behind Clark on tiptoe, trying to see around Clark's shoulder. He said,  
  
"What's wrong, Clark?"  
  
Clark jumped, his shoulder hitting Lex's jaw. Lex yelped, stepped back holding his jaw. Clark whirled around, wincing when he saw Lex wiggle his jaw experimentally. He said,  
  
"Lex, I'm so sorry! I just didn't know you were there and you scared me. Are you okay?"  
  
Lex tried to smile, but thought better of it when pain shot through his jaw- region.  
  
"I've survived worse."  
  
Clark took a step forwards and said, sighing, his eyes melancholy,  
  
"How was work?"  
  
Lex ignored the question, took a step forwards, bringing him toe-to-toe with Clark. He said, placing a hand on Clark's shoulder,  
  
"What's wrong, Clark?"  
  
Clark merely shrugged, turned back towards his bedroom. Lex followed Clark into it, sat on the bed as he watched Clark walk around touching random things. Clark said after a moment,  
  
"I'm all packed and ready for lift-off."  
  
Lex 'ahh'-d in understanding. He said hesitantly,  
  
"You know, Clark, you could always stay here."  
  
Clark swiveled around to look at Lex. He smiled sadly,  
  
"I know, Lex. The thing is, we already paid for the room, and if I didn't live on campus, I wouldn't be getting the full experience, you know?"  
  
Lex nodded, looked down at his hands. He said,  
  
"Well, come stay for weekends and holidays, at least."  
  
Clark grinned now, joined Lex on the bed. He said,  
  
"Of course I will. And you have to promise me you'll visit."  
  
Lex grinned back,  
  
"Clark, I'm helping you move. I took off work tomorrow."  
  
"Great! Hey, I'm hungry. Let's go see what we can dredge up for dinner, okay?"  
  
Smiling, Lex stood up and followed predictable Clark out of the room.  
  
* * *  
  
Lex grunted as he set the box down. He said, standing up and rubbing the small of his back with his fist,  
  
"I think that's the last one. Jesus, Clark. I can't believe how much you brought. You pack like a girl."  
  
Clark just grinned at Lex charmingly over the mountain of boxes and suitcases. He said giddily,  
  
"Now, it's time to unpack!"  
  
Lex groaned again and plopped down on the floor, glad he had worn jeans and a T-shirt today and not the typical suit.  
  
Once the room was set up, boxes collapsed and set in a haphazard pile outside the door, Lex sat down on Clark's bed. He shook his head,  
  
"I feel sorry for your roommate. He's not going to have any room!"  
  
Clark grinned happily, looking around the room. The small, comfortable bed had his old, worn cotton sheets on it (plaid), the night-table graced with pictures of friends and family, the bulletin board above his desk covered with even more pictures, various miniature Smallville Crows banners, a special-edition of the first article he had ever written for the Torch, and several other random things. The desk was already a mess, Clark's sleek new laptop, a graduation present from his parents, barely visible underneath all the crap on the desk. A foil Lex had given him (again) was propped in the corner next to his bed. When Lex had stumbled upon it during the unpacking and question Clark about it, he had blushed and stammered some unintelligible reason for keeping it. He thought it had something to do with luck and taking classes, but he couldn't be too sure now. All Clark knew was that he was completely satisfied with how his room looked. He couldn't wait to meet his roommate, though he was a bit nervous.  
  
When a knock sounded on the door and it swung open, Clark's expression turned confused. Standing in the doorway was a vision. A vision with streaky blonde hair and large, slightly tilted hazel eyes. Upon seeing Clark, the eyes, right now edging towards a deep blue, warmed and a smile blossomed, causing dimples to wink at the corners of a full, pouty mouth.  
  
"So, which one of you two is my roomie?"  
  
Clark couldn't prevent his jaw from dropping and turned to Lex, alarm apparent on his face. Turning back to the doorway, Clark stammered,  
  
"R-roomie?"  
  
A fisted hand rose to rest on a cocked hip and one pale eyebrow rose,  
  
"You got a problem with that?"  
  
Clark glanced at Lex again, rubbed suddenly sweaty palms on his faded jeans. He tried to speak, had to clear his throat a few times first.  
  
"B-but you.you're."  
  
The other eyebrow winged upwards in amusement. Clark's new roommate supplied,  
  
"A girl?"  
  
Clark nodded his head dumbly. She laughed, walking into the room, leaving the door gaping. She went over to her bed, dropping a little duffel on it, then sat down. She looked over at Clark and said,  
  
"Is that a problem?"  
  
Clark shrugged helplessly, staring at the girl. Realizing that Clark was not going to vocalize any time soon, Lex said, standing up,  
  
"He's just shocked, is all. I'm Lex."  
  
The girl smiled warmly at Lex and said, standing and reaching out to shake his hand,  
  
"Wesley."  
  
Lex raised an eyebrow but refrained from mentioning her odd name. She smiled, noted the almost concealed question on Lex's face.  
  
"My dad was in denial. He really wanted a son. I consider myself lucky. I mean, I fared better than my sister. She got stuck with Iphigenia. My mom was going through her "Mythology phase" and decided Helen was too trite." Wesley didn't register Lex's wince at that comment. She continued to ramble, "Then there's Carmel, cities. And my brothers, oh boy. Listen to this: Kelly. She had just seen that movie with Leelee Sobiesky and Josh Hartnet and Chris Klein. You know the one?" At Lex's blank look, she shrugged and continued on. "Then we have my brother Loren. Let me tell you, she just loves Saturday Night Live. Adores it. You can't pry her away from the tube on Saturdays, you know, when they have all the reruns? Anyway, the last one is Aubrey. Don't worry, Aub's a girl. I don't think she'd torture one of her children that much. You'll meet Aub later. She's staying just across the hall. And hey, you'll just love her. I'm sorry, am I rambling? I kind of tend to do that, you know. Ramble on and on. I bet you can't guess what my major is."  
  
Lex intoned,  
  
"Theater."  
  
Wesley grinned brightly,  
  
"You got it! Anyway, I don't suppose that you're my roommate? I mean, I kind of figured from that guy's reaction that he's the one, but."  
  
Lex shook his head.  
  
"Negative. He's your guy." Lex jerked a thumb over his shoulder, "He's still kind of in shock. Just give him a couple minutes and he'll warm up."  
  
Lex walked over to Clark and said,  
  
"Clark, I'm going, okay? I'll see you tonight. Be ready around 7 and I'll be here at 7:30. See ya."  
  
Patting him on the shoulder and waving to Wesley, Lex left. Wesley sat back down and said,  
  
"So, Clark, is it?"  
  
Clark nodded, clearing his throat. He smiled weakly and said,  
  
"Clark Kent. I'm sorry. I just didn't realize."  
  
Wesley grinned,  
  
"That's okay. They must not have told you you'd be rooming with a girl."  
  
Clark shook his head,  
  
"No, they didn't. It was just, like Lex said, a huge shock. I guess it's okay, though."  
  
"Well, gee. Thanks, I guess."  
  
Clark's tentative smile faltered at Wesley's sarcastic tone and he swallowed nervously. He shifted on the bed, trying not to look too awkward. Wesley sighed,  
  
"So. Where ya from, Kent?"  
  
"Kansas. Smallville, Kansas."  
  
Wesley tilted her head to the side,  
  
"Never heard of it."  
  
"It's a couple hours out of Metropolis. Where are you from?"  
  
Wesley grinned. Goody, her favorite subject to talk about. Herself.  
  
"San Diego, California." She noticed Clark's discomfort and, taking pity, "You know what, Clark? Why don't we go explore or something?"  
  
Clark sighed with apparent relief, nodding. He didn't need to "explore", but it would get them out of the room and out of that awkward situation. They stood and left the room. Walking outside, Clark let himself relax and study Wesley. She was so unlike Chloe and Lana. She was tall, probably around 5'9". Her hair, strawberry blonde with hints of platinum, matching her perfectly arched eyebrows. Her eyes, changeable. At the moment they were an alluring azure. High cheekbones, naturally flushed, and her lips.Clark had to tamp down his sudden desire to swoop in and capture. He was suddenly feeling a little warm. Tugging at his collar, Clark once- overed Wesley's figure. Long. She was lanky and she was perfect. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her legs, revealed beneath her denim miniskirt. Clearing his throat, something he'd been doing a lot of lately, Clark shoved his hands in his pockets.  
  
"So, Wesley-"  
  
"Just call me Wes."  
  
Clark nodded,  
  
"Wes. Theater major?"  
  
Wesley nodded, smiling,  
  
"What about you?"  
  
Clark shrugged,  
  
"Kinda undecided, but I'm leaning towards journalism."  
  
Wesley turned to Clark, eyebrows raised,  
  
"Really? That's awesome. If I wasn't doing theater, I would have done journalism."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Clark grinned at Wesley. Maybe having a girl for a roommate wouldn't be so bad. Sure, he wouldn't be able to sleep in just boxers, or leave things lying around, but it could be cool. Genuinely pleased now, and acctually looking forward to the year, hopefully more, he'd spend with her, Clark turned all of his attention to the beautiful girl beside him.  
  
TBC. 


End file.
